It's that time of year again. The temperature has begun to chill, leaves are transitioning from vibrant green to crisp orange and yellows, and pumpkins surround the entrances to most supermarkets. September came and went and October has made its way back again.
I love this time of year and what comes with it, the gorgeous landscapes, apple and pumpkin picking, and being that much closer to the actual holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. But these earlier characteristics I mention aren't what most college students affiliate with this time of the year. Unfortunately, in today's society, Halloween has become the highlight of October.
Now, only two weeks away, those students that haven't spent a year deciding which Jersey Shore character to impersonate or how they're going to change up the classic schoolgirl or playboy bunny outfit may be going into panic mode. Trying to figure out what to be while spending as little money and as few materials as possible takes serious time and deep thought. Not to mention, a certain level of creativity.
Sure, it's easy to run into one of the many Halloween stores that begin popping up months in advance and find something slutty to wear, or purchase the comical penis uniform. But that can become pricey and repetitive. For college students, money is better saved for the important things such as alcohol and condoms. And today, originality has become the newest criteria in determining what makes the best costume, and that can't be bought.
To me, Halloween is an endless, obnoxious cycle. It can be fun and cute when you're little and go trick-or-treating with your parents. As you grow up, it turns into a time of rebellion: alcohol is introduced, shaving cream fights occur, houses are covered in toilet paper, and your friends are egged.
Then, you graduate to the next level. Maximize the amount of alcohol and drugs and minimizing the amount of clothing. Eventually as an adult, you will come full circle and return to trick-or-treating, except this time you're the one testing out the candy.
I personally would like to skip out on the middle part all together. I'm tired of seeing both insecure girls and girls that know better dress up in almost nothing in an attempt to get a guy's attention, or just for the excuse of it. And it's even more pathetic seeing guys trying to get a girl to come home with them. Especially when it comes to putting something in a girl's drink, which I've seen done before.
I'm boycotting Halloween this year. I've purposefully made other plans that place me in Florida and, as a result, will not be forced by my friends to partake in this year's activities. And I couldn't be happier. I'm not worried about missing out because I don't see what the hype is all about in the first place.
I may be biased because I've grown up Christian, and Halloween was not the same unofficial holiday to me that society knows so well. Nonetheless, I don't care. Halloween is a stupid reason for students to capitalize on a normal Thursday or Saturday night of drinking and partying.
At some point, everyone needs to come to terms that Halloween is a made up event that over the course of time has misled students to believe that that for one night of the year it's OK to make a complete and total ass out of oneself. Maybe I've just come to terms with this concept a little earlier than most. And I'm OK with that.
Email: veronica.ritter@ubspectrum.com
